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Chickpeas in Star Anise and Date Masala

5.0(233)

This recipe, adapted from Meeru Dhalwala of Vij’s Restaurant, in Vancouver, British Columbia, came to The Times in 2010, part of a Sam Sifton piece about vegetarian meals for meat-lovers. The dish, he writes, is a “simple chickpea curry that Dhalwala cooks with star anise and chopped dates, which combine into an autumnal darkness that lingers on the tongue.” Coming together quickly, it’s a great choice for a weeknight meal or a lazy winter weekend.

by Sam Sifton

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IndianDinner, Easy, Quick, One Pot, Main Course

Servings

Serves 6

Total time

30 min

Calories / serving

1038 kcal

Ingredients (12)

serves

3 15-ounce cans chickpeas (or 1½ cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked)chickpea
2 black cardamom pods
1/3 cup neutral cooking oil, like canolaoil
1 medium-large Spanish onion, peeled and choppedonion
6 cloves garlic, peeled and mincedgarlic
2 1/2 tablespoons tomato pastetomato-paste
9 dried dates, pitted and choppeddate
4 teaspoons ground cumincumin
2 teaspoons kosher saltsalt
1 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to tastecayenne
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
2 whole star anise, or 1/3 teaspoon groundstar-anise

Instructions (4 steps)

01Drain the chickpeas and set aside in a nonreactive bowl.
02With a knife, lightly crack the cardamom pods. Peel the shell to release the seeds and collect them in a small bowl. Discard the shells. With a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle, crush the seeds (you can leave them whole if you don’t mind biting into them) and set aside.

03In a medium pot set over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until they have softened and started to brown. Stir in the garlic and sauté for a minute or so, until it, too, has softened. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the tomato paste. Add the cardamom and all remaining ingredients and sauté for 2 or 3 minutes.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.